Justice Karnan Retires On Monday As An Absconder

Chennai: Calcutta High Court Judge CS Karnan, who is facing arrest for being held guilty under the Contempt of Courts Act, will retire on Monday. Karnan will be the first High Court judge to retire while still absconding.

Justice Karnan has been missing since May 10 after the Supreme Court sentenced him to six months in jail. Karnan’s arrest orders were issued after he sentenced Chief Justice of India JS Khehar and six other Supreme Court judges to five years in jail under the SC/ST Act.

A five-member team of senior police officers of West Bengal reached Chennai on May 10, Justice Karnan’s home city, to carry out the apex court’s judgment. The team, consisting DGP Raj Kanojia and officers Ranveer Kumar, C Sudhakar, Dipankar Bakshi and Sukumal Kanti Das, failed to locate Justice Karnan and also sought help from Chennai counterparts to track the judge.

However, the whereabouts of Justice Karnan remains a mystery even as he retires on Monday.

Justice Karnan is accused of writing disparaging letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and the Supreme Court Registrar about sitting and retired judges of the Supreme and High Courts.

In some cases, he even levelled allegations of corruption and caste discrimination. He had also stayed the top court collegium’s decision transferring him from the Madras High Court to the Calcutta High Court.